The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-25
EMPLOYMENT of Convicts in Manufacturing
Government Goods Not Practicable-The
Public Account System Favored.
Very Large Increase in the Quantity
of Mineral and Other Products.
The New Congressional Library Building to
be Erected on Plans Drawn by an In
dianian-Other Washington News.
CONVICT LABOR.
Views and Deductions of Carroll ID. Wright,
Commissioners of Labor.


Commissioner of Labor.
WASHINGTON, July 24-The report of tfe
Commissioner of Labor, Carroll D. Wright,
convict labor in the United States, gives mass
of figures from each State and Territory. There
are four different systems. the report says. In
vogue throughout the country-the contract
convict system, the piece-price system. the pub
lie account system, and the lease system.
The first system is the most prevalent
Under it more convicts employed and
more goods manufactured than any other The
prison officers generally advertise for bids for
the employment of convicts, the highest respon-
sible bidder securing the contract The piece
price is a modification Of the contract system.
the contractor having nothing to do with the
convicts. The contractor furnishes the prison
officials with material ready for manufacturing,
and the officials return the completed work
at an agreed price for each piece. The pub
lie account system consists in working tie
convicts by the prison officials for the benefit of
the State The lease system is that by which
the convicts are let to contractors for specified
gross sum- The returns show that there
employed at productive labor, during the time
covered by the investigation, AZ, ,799 convicts.
divided as follows: Contract system, 10, 425;
piece system, 4,693; public account system, 49,.
petition with free labor the report says:
sit is perfectly evident from information de-
rived from the tables that the competition
arising from the employment of convicts, SO far
as the whole country is concerned would not,
of itself constitute a question worthy OF serious
discussion. The product of the prisons is but
fifty-four hundredths of l per cent. of
the tota, mechanical products of the
country. The whole prison population of
those institutions in which productive labor is
carried on is but one in a thousand of the popu-
latiou of the country, and those engaged in con-
Wet labor but in 300 of those engaged in
free mechanical labor"
Lest one might naturally suppose that there
was such thing as convict competition with
free labor. the next few lines are quoted:
These facts, however, do not invalidate the
claim that, locally, and in certain industries the
competition may be serious and of such proper
legislatures"
While the Commissioner is particularly eau
tious about expressing a decided opinion any
point, it is surmised that he is in favor of hard
under labor the public account system, as it keeps
prisoners employed and does not come SO much
the others in competition with
free labor. This plan. then" says the report,
has justice in it affecting all people alike. 1t
has humanity in it. because it allows every ef-
fort for reformation without any entangIement
or interference through forms of labor It has
morality in it. because it effectively the
whole question of convict labor agitation, not
only from the minds of the workingmen and
manufacturers, but from the list of questions
agtating the public"
A valuable part of Mr.. Wrights report is an
appendix giving abstract of convict-labor
laws low in force in different States and Terri
tories
The Public Account System Favored.
washlr gton Special.
The report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics
on convict labor is out The more important
points were published some weeks ago, but there
is much interesting matter not heretofore
touched on. Commissioner Wright quotes
freely from the report made by Col Lord. of
the Illinois bureau. and gives the conclusions
there reached great weight The States that
have taken hold of the question either by legs-
lation or by constitutional amendment
yet be cleaned from their
experience. In summing up
rious plans Commissioner Wright takes
the view that prison labor under the public
count system has many advantages oyer all the
others. With such plan in vogue in majority
OF the States he thinks there could be
plant as TO the effect of convict labor upon the
rates OF wages or upon the sale of goods either
IN price or in quantity. The employment Of
convlcts In manufacturing goods for the govern
ment he does not look upon practicable. If
Illinois had supplied its wants last year in this
way the amount of convict labor that could have
been utilized would not have reached fifty thou
sand dollars, and this is fair specimen of other
States The utilization of convicts upon farms,
WHiCh has peou proposed IN some OF the southern
States, Is looked upon as merely temporary
makeshift which would, in a few years, arouse
the farming population of the country so that
the opposition to convict farm labor would be
greater than any which exists
against the employment Of convicts
In mechanical pursuits The lease sys-
tenn, which is the scandal of many South
ern states. IS already bad enough. The grotesque
plan lately agitated of making Alaska penal
colony for the United States would find little
encouragement in the report 1t is said that the
penal colony plan has been given up by most of
the nations that have adopted it. To put it in
practice for the United States would require
constitutional amendment giving Congress pow
er to regulate police matters But it is taken for
granted that the moral sentiment of the country
will never permit the herding of criminals in
Alaska or any other section It is hardly neces-
sary to state that Commissioner Wright does
not believe that the entire abolition OF convict
labor can be brought about.
MINERAL AND OTHER PRODUCTS.
Almost EyErytning an